Imran ‘treated smoothly’ for retinal condition at PIMS, CEO confirms

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan was treated for a retinal condition at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital over the weekend, the hospital’s chief executive officer said on Saturday.

In a video message, PIMS CEO Professor Rana Imran Sikander said the 74-year-old had recently reported reduced vision in his right eye.

Read: Imran’s consent obtained for eye procedure: PIMS

He said a comprehensive eye evaluation was conducted at Adiala Jail by an experienced and qualified PIMS ophthalmologist, which included strict laboratory examination, fundoscopy, intraocular pressure measurement, essential laboratory tests and retinal optical coherence tomography.

Based on the evaluation, a diagnosis of central retinal vein occlusion was made and hospital follow-up treatment was recommended, Sikander said.

“Accordingly, Mr Niazi was taken to PIMS last Saturday/Sunday night for the recommended procedure,” he said. Sikander added that at the hospital, the treatment plan, the need to administer an anti-VEGF intravitreal injection were thoroughly explained to the patient, and informed consent was obtained before the procedure.

Read more :KP CM announces night sit-in as PTI leaders denied access to Imran Khan again

“The procedure was carried out in the operating room under standard sterile protocol and monitoring,” Sikander said, adding that it was completed smoothly in about 20 minutes.

He said the patient remained vitally stable during treatment and was discharged with post-procedure routine care instructions, follow-up advice and paperwork.

Amid the controversy surrounding Imran’s eye treatment, PIMS had confirmed a day ago that he was brought to the hospital late at night between Saturday and Sunday, where he was administered an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection to treat right central retinal vein occlusion after his consent was obtained.

The PTI had in recent days expressed concern over Imran’s health, alleging that prison authorities and the government were obstructing treatment for a “serious eye condition” and demanding immediate medical attention. On Thursday, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and other PTI leaders were denied permission to meet the party founder, prompting Afridi and the party leadership to stage an overnight sit-in on Adiala Road until Imran was allowed to meet his personal doctors, family members and legal counsel.

Speaking to the media, Afridi expressed deep concern over Imran’s health and said he had been secretly transferred from jail to PIMS on Saturday. He called the concealment of the founder’s health status “medical terrorism” and said the incident represented a violation of fundamental human rights.

Imran’s personal doctor Dr Asim Yousaf also expressed serious concern over the PTI founder’s health a day ago, saying there may be an underlying medical condition behind his reported eye problem.

In a video message, Dr Yousaf, who also serves as medical director of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, said rumors had been circulating in Pakistan and abroad about problems with Imran’s eye for several days.

Imran has been jailed since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence in Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. Additionally, he faces pending lawsuits under the Anti-Terrorism Law related to the May 9, 2023 protests.